Help! Important wool YARN question! *pics p33*more pics p44! *CLOSE UP YARN PICS p63!

[poleidopy]

I just, literally 30 min ago, inherited 7 GINORMOUS rubbermaid bins full of yarn and already-knitted wool sweaters and halfway-done sweaters. there are a few bins of acrylic, the cheapiest stuff, but the rest are wool. i have NO idea if it's like, good quality or whatever, it's all old. Lots of bags with several skeins of the same color , and the labels (lot? dye? numbers) are the same., They all stink like moth balls though. Is it possible to get rid of the moth ball smell? I was so excited about all this stuff, but if I can't make it not smell, I don't know what I will do with it. i don't even know what moth balls are made of, just that this stuff is stinking up my house.

[mellifera]

Are the moth balls still in the wool? If so, removing them, and disposing of them so that kids and pets can't access them would be the first step. The moth ball smell should dissipate after airing--it may take a while, though. You will probably still have to take steps to combat moths. If there are any live critters--freeze the wool. I recently found moths in my dh's closet, and although I hadn't seen any in my yarn and fiber on the second floor, I froze everything. 72 hours in the freezer, a couple days out, 72 hours in again. I am using lavendin essential oil to repel moths, but I am not sure how well it works--I just bought it a few days ago.

[poleidopy]

Originally Posted by mellifera

Are the moth balls still in the wool? If so, removing them, and disposing of them so that kids and pets can't access them would be the first step. The moth ball smell should dissipate after airing--it may take a while, though. You will probably still have to take steps to combat moths. If there are any live critters--freeze the wool. I recently found moths in my dh's closet, and although I hadn't seen any in my yarn and fiber on the second floor, I froze everything. 72 hours in the freezer, a couple days out, 72 hours in again. I am using lavendin essential oil to repel moths, but I am not sure how well it works--I just bought it a few days ago.

I didn't see any moths or mothballs, it just stinks.
I don't have a big enough freezer to freeze this stuff.
To air it all out...what do I do?

Sorry for the dumb questions. I am not a crocheter/knitter, other than attempting a baby hat here & there and a dog sweater once, LOL. I was just excited because I know a lot of people love wool and was hoping to swap it for stuff *I* can use, LOL.

[mellifera]

Do you have a way to put it outside so it doesn't get carried away by dogs or run through the mud by children? Do you have a tree or a clothesline from which you could suspend a sheet "hammock" to put the wool in? (hammock always makes me giggle ) I haven't ever had to air out lots of wool.

[Iarwain]

Yes, it should be put it outside and either hung or spread out on a sheet so air can get to all of it but preferably kept out of direct sunlight. It could take a few days. It is possible to wash it out but that's very labor intensive. I did that with a bin of yarn that a blasted cat mistook for a litter box but it took weeks and weeks of unwinding a skein at a time into a big loop, soaking, then hang drying and rewinding.

[poleidopy]

I have a hammock...I suppose I could rig something up using the poles, or this could be a good excuse to get a clothesline. To keep it out of the sun but still let it get air, i could put it under the trampoline, maybe. DH just called and said he is bringing me at least 8 more rubbermaid bins FULL. These bins are big enough for my kids to fit in, some *I* could fit in, and all of it is yarn. Wow!

So...how do I know if this wool yarn is good quality/worth saving? Most of it has labels still, do I look at the brand or so I just need to make IRL friends with a knitter and invite him/her over?

[mipennsn]

. That is a HUGE haul!

Those ski masks I'm sure would be appreciated by someone way north of you, like Canada or Alaska.

[poleidopy]

Today i am airing out all the 100% wool yarn and a few random pieces. I only have 5 or 6 bins left, all full of sweaters.

here are pics from today. I didn't take close-ups of everything, but you can click the thumbnails and see the big pics. I need to figure out what this stuff is worth and make up swap packages, put some away for gifts, mail out the rest I have to mail, and put the last of it in clean bins, to get it out of the way. If I were to divide things into $20 "packages" what do you think would constitute a package? A hat or ski mask, and a pair of mittens? A few pairs of socks? How many skeins/balls/twisty things of yarn? a baby outfit?

wow, that is a big...spool? of yarn!

[curlymopmom]

WOW!!! I can totally come back to this, but too many distractions now to form a thought.

[poleidopy]

See the strange ski mask things!? (they are in the back of the second pic)

[Annainprogress]

yep great balaclavas if not bank robber black lol!

it's gonna be a tough one because googling the brand of the "nicest" looking ones that you photographed in close up, it's a discontinued vintage brand! I would think probably with any acrylic, a medium flat rate box full. With clearly more valuable yarns like the brunswick 100% wool, probably 2 or 3 (keeping together shades). Jumpers are at least a swap on their own. Hats maybe 2 to a package? I guess it depends on what balance you want to draw between "destashing" and "getting value"

[JessicaTX]

I have sock envy

[poleidopy]

Originally Posted by Annainprogress

yep great balaclavas if not bank robber black lol!

it's gonna be a tough one because googling the brand of the "nicest" looking ones that you photographed in close up, it's a discontinued vintage brand! I would think probably with any acrylic, a medium flat rate box full. With clearly more valuable yarns like the brunswick 100% wool, probably 2 or 3 (keeping together shades). Jumpers are at least a swap on their own. Hats maybe 2 to a package? I guess it depends on what balance you want to draw between "destashing" and "getting value"

Hmm, so if it's discontinued does that mean it's not worth anything?
There is *no* acrylic., other than the wool/acrylic blends I posted pics of a few posts back. All the labels on this stuff said 100% wool. Yeah, i definitely don't want to make a huge profit, nor do I want to give too much more away, LOL. I want to make some seriously, abundantly awesome swap packages, but not go overboard.
so...what about these? it's lion brand wool-ease in cranberry. I have a lot, so I don't know if they are worth anything or if I should break them into lots...

[Kindle Mama]

You were certainly blessed with such great wooly wonders . I admit to drooling over some of the choices